The Merchant Shipping (Radio) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1999

Sources of energy U.K.

24.—(1) (a) There shall be available at all times while the fishing vessel is at sea and at all reasonable times when it is in port, a supply of electrical energy which is sufficient for the operation of the radio installation, the testing of the said installation and the charging of any battery which is a source of electrical energy for it.

(b) The supply of electrical energy shall be maintained at a voltage within plus or minus 10 per cent of the voltage the source of supply is designed to deliver.

(2) (a) A reserve source of electrical energy, independent of the propelling power of the fishing vessel and of the fishing vessel’s main electrical installation shall be provided and, where reasonably practicable, shall be situated in the upper part of the fishing vessel.

(b) This reserve source, which may consist of the battery referred to in paragraph (1) above, shall be capable of being brought into immediate operation by means of a readily accessible switchboard.

(c) This reserve source shall be maintained at all times while the fishing vessel is at sea in such condition as to be capable of supplying continuously for a period of at least six hours a total current equal to the sum of–

(i) the current consumption of the VHF receiver;

(ii) one fifth of the current consumption of the VHF transmitter;

(iii) the current consumption of an MF or MF/HF receiver and of the transmitter when it is in such a condition that operation of the “press to transmit" switch will make it ready for immediate transmission;

(iv) one third of the current which may be drawn by an MF or MF/HF transmitter for speech transmission on the frequency at which the current consumption of the transmitter is at a maximum;

(v) the current consumption of an INMARSAT ship earth station when it is receiving transmissions;

(vi) one quarter of the current which may be drawn by an INMARSAT ship earth station when it is transmitting in the mode at which the current consumption is at a maximum; and

(vii) the total current consumption of all additional loads to which the reserve source may supply energy in times of distress or emergency.

(3) Adequate means shall be provided on board every fishing vessel for the charging of batteries provided as a source of electrical energy for the operation of the radio installation.

(4) When any battery provided for a radio installation is not in use, it shall be capable of being fully charged within a period of not more than 16 hours by the means of charging required by paragraph (3).